MATHEMATICS IN THE MODERN WORLD | Maria Angelica David

CHAPTER 1: MATHEMATICS IN OUR WORLD

MYTHS ABOUT MATHETMATICS
 Terrifying
 Static
 Not equal to other sciences
 Solitary
 Impractical major as a career preparation
Note: Mathematical Sciences deal with patterns, structures, and
abstract models of reality.
What is Mathematics?
- It means máthēma (meaning “that which is learn” and “what
one gets to know”)
- The word máthēma is derived from the word “manthano” that
the modern Greek equivalent is “manthaino” meaning “to
learn”
- As an adjective mathematics came from the word
“mathēmatikós” which means “related to learning” or
“studious”
Nature of Mathematics
- Science of discovery
- Intellectual game
- Art of drawing conclusions
- Tool subject
- System of logical processes
- Intuitive method
Characteristics of Mathemmatics
- Logical sequence
- Structure
- Precision and accuracy
- Abstractness
- Mathematical Language and Symbolism
- Applicability
- Generalization and classification
FAMOUS MATHEMATICIANS OF MODERN TIME
1. LEONHARD EULER (1707 - 1783)
a. Swiss mathematician
b. Influenced by Johann Bernoulli

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 MATHEMATICS IN THE MODERN WORLD | Maria Angelica David

c. Year 1727 he went to St. Petersburg where he worked in

the mathematics department and became head of the
department in the year 1731.
d. 1741 he went in Berlin and worked at Berlin Academy for
25 years then returned in St Petersburg and spent the
rest of his life.
e. He worked in almost all areas of mathematics (geometry,
calculus, trigonometry, algebra, applied mathematics,
graph theory, number theory, lunar theory optics and
other areas of physics)
f. He introduced the concept of a function (statistics and
algebra). He first denoted f(x) as function.
g. He also introduced modern notation for the
trigonometric functions, letter e for the base of the
natural logarithm (which is also known as Euler’s
number), the Greek letter Σ which is known for us as
summations and the letter i to denote the imaginary
unit.
2. ISAAC NEWTON (1642 - 1727)
a. Newton has huge impact on many subjects. He was one of
the inventors of calculus, he built the first
reflecting telescope and he also helped in establishing
the field of classical mechanics with his seminal work,
“Philosophiæ Naturalis Principia Mathematica”
b. He was the first to decompose white light into its
component colors and gave us the 3 laws of motion also
known as Newton’s laws.
c. Known as greatest scientist of all time.
3. CARL FRIEDRICH GAUSS (1777 – 1855)
a. He was known as greatest mathematician ever, he
followed Isaac Newton.
b. He was born to a poor family in Germany at the year
1777 and he quickly revealed himself as a brilliant
mathematician.
c. He published “Arithmetical Investigations” that
discusses the study of whole numbers.
4. JOHN VON NEUMANN (1903 - 1957)
a. He was born in Budapest; he went on to design the
architecture underlying nearly every single computer.
b. He received his Ph.D in mathematics at the age of 22
while earning a degree in chemical engineering to
appease his father.

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 MATHEMATICS IN THE MODERN WORLD | Maria Angelica David

c. He went to work at Princeton University with Albert

Einstein at the Institute of Advance Study at the year
1930.
d. Before he died in 1957, he made important discoveries
in set theory, geometry, quantum mechanics, game
theory, statistics, and computer science and was also a
vital member of Manhattan Project.
5. ALAN TURING (1912 - 1954)
a. A British mathematician who has been called as the
father of computer science.
b. During World War II, he bent his brain to the problem
of breaking Nazi crypto-code and was the one who
finally unravel messages protected by the infamous
Enigma machine.
c. His career and life ended tragically as he was arrested
and prosecutes for being gay.
6. BENOIT MANDELBROT (1924 - 2010)
a. Born on Poland (1924) and had to go to France with his
family in 1936 to avoid Nazi persecution.
b. After studying in Paris, he moved to U.S. where he
found a home as an IBM Fellow.
c. Died of Pancreatic cancer in 2010

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